good morning. combative and confrontational, joe biden and paul ryan come out swinging in their one and only vice presidential debate. >> with all due respect, that's a bunch of ma larky. >> mr. vice president, i know -- mr. vice president, i know you're under a lot of duress to make up for lost ground. >> but without a clear winner, did the debate matter? dire threat. defense secretary leon panetta issues a chilling warning about computer hackers. a scenario he describes as a possible cyber pearl harbor that could be as destructive as the 9/11 attacks. we're live at the pentagon. and hello, brooklyn. the legendary barbra streisand

takes the stage in her hometown for the very first time. ♪ beneath the moon, the stars and under the sun ♪ >> a homecoming concert decades in the making today, friday, october 12th, 2012. from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today," decision 2012, with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm matt lawer. >> good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie. what a night. where were you doing the debate? >> right there in the second row of the yankee game in the bronx. i went to see the yankee game, but i tivoed this and watched it this morning. it was different. >> well, in your event there was a clear cut winner and loser.

in this debate, unclear. it was definitely the only chance for a face-to-face showdown during this election for joe biden and paul ryan. they did their best to really make it count. >> they clashed on a wide range of topics, everything from the economy, to iran, even some social issues, and in stark contrast to the first presidential debate, this one was animated. it was fast-paced, full of cutting attacks. let's get right to nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent chuck todd. he is at the debate hall in danville, kentucky. chuck, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning, matt. it was a tale of two different debate strategies really. for joe biden it was about calming down supporters upset with president obama's performance last week. he went with the kitchen sink approach. paul ryan, he went with the do no harm mantra. >> when we look weak, our adversary are much more willing to test us. they are more brazen in their attacks and our allies are -- >> that's all a bunch of malarkey. >> reporter: joe biden played the role of attack dog, gesturing, interrupting,

laughing, make is his presence felt when paul ryan was speaking. >> under a romney administration, we will have credibility on this issue. >> vice president biden? >> incredible. >> thank heavens we have these sanctions in place. it's in spite of their on sgligs oh, god. >> it's been discredited by six other studies. over 100 criminal investigations that have been launched in just how the stimulus spending has been spent. >> martha, look. >> reporter: at one point biden seemed to hold back from cursing. this is a bunch of stuff. here's the deal. >> what does that mean, a bunch of stuff? >> here's the deal. >> it's irish. >> we irish call it malarkey. >> reporter: and while ryan largely avoided to take the bait he did push back on biden a few times. >> mr. vice president, i know you're under a lot of duress to make up for lost ground, but i think people will be better served if we don't keep interrupting each other. >> reporter: biden deployed many attacks that president obama failed to use against romney last week, like the infamous 47%

remark. >> it shouldn't be surprising for a guy who says 47% of the american people are unwilling to take responsibility for their own lives. >> mr. romney is a good man. he cares about 100% of americans in this country, and with respect to that quote, i think the vice president very well knows that sometimes the words don't come out of your mouth the right way. [ laughter ] >> but i always say what i mean. and so does romney. >> we want everybody to succeed. >> defensing stimulus, biden stayed aggressive. >> you did ask for stimulus money. >> sure he did. >> on two occasions we advocated for constituents who were applying for grants. that's what we do. we do that for all constituents. >> i love that. i love that. this is such a bad program, and he writes me a letter saying -- writes the department of energy a left saying the reason we need this stimulus it will create growth and jobs. his words. and now he's sitting here looking at me. >> reporter: and he went after ryan's stance on abortion. >> my friend says that he --

well, i guess he accepts governor romney's position now because in the past he has argued that there was -- there's rape and forcible rape. >> reporter: this debate featured a heavy dose of foreign policy. biden struggled to explain why the white house had so many explanations regarding the terrorist attack in benghazi. >> we said exactly what the intelligence community told us, that they knew. that was the assessment, and as the intelligence community changed their view, they made it clear they changed this view. >> this is becoming more troubling by the day. they first blamed the youtube video. now they are trying to blame the romry/ryan ticket for making this an issue. >> reporter: many tense moments, including one when biden came close to channeling lloyd bentsen's famous attack on dan quayle. >> senator, you're no jack kennedy. >> you can cut tax rates by 20%. >> not mathematically possible. >> it is mathematically possible. it's been done before.

it's precisely what we're prosing. >> never been done before. >> it's been done a couple of times actual. >> i never been done. >> jack kennedy lowered tax rates and increased growth. ronald reagan -- >> now you're jack kennedy. >> reporter: well, it's a busy day for three of the four guys on the ticket here. you've got mitt romney who starts his day in north carolina, hits virginia and meets up though with paul ryan in the evening for a joint event in ohio. joe biden, he's going to paul ryan's home state in wisconsin. president obama actually has sort of a down day at the white house, though he does have dinner with a bunch of campaign supporters. matt? >> all right, chuck todd, thank you very much. rachel maddow is the left of "the rachel maddow show" on msnbc and going into this joe biden needed to steady the ship and calm the democratic side. did he accomplish that? >> democrats are psyched that he had such a good night.

you said at the throb was no clear winner, and it may be, but it was very important for the democrats paul ryan not be the clear winner. most democrats, i don't know about independent winners, probably think that joe biden clearly won >> i think the analysis there's no clear winner is because of joe biden's style, his demeanor, and if we've learned anything from these debates those things matter as much as substance, occasionally more. do you think that biden was over amped and overly aggressive and that detracted from his performance? >> seemed like aggression and not like a cool distancing from the proceedings which was the problem with the president's performance in terms of his style the first time around. biden's aggression i think is both expected from him, and the laughing thing was essentially implicit messaging, don't believe what this guy is saying, i can't believe this guy. it actually had sort of a messaging function rather than just being a display of his emotion. >> on the subject of what you can believe from paul ryan, his calling card, a number guy so on jobs, spending, taxes, how did he do this.

>> had a couple of problems on basic number issues. when he tried to make the case when the unemployment rate is going up, scranton versus janesville, it was stylistically interesting because biden jumped in so aggressively to shut him down, but it's true the unemployment rate is below 8% and being unwilling to admit that i think put him on maybe sort of shaky ground. obviously he's very comfortable talking about these issues. the fact that the debate focused so much on foreign policy was not paul ryan's wheelhouse and i think that spoke to mr. biden's strength, but, you know, those issues they both feel confident talking about the middle class. it's a question of whether or not it resonates. >> we know joe biden, americans know him. watched him in the senate and watched him now for almost four years as vice president. not as many people know paul ryan. this was his first major test on a stage like this. did we learn anything about paul ryan last night that will impact the election? >> yes, and that's what i think is so exciting about this debate. whoever you want to win, what was exciting about it is all this new ground was covered mostly by joe biden pinning paul ryan down on stuff that we

weren't sure if the romney/ryan ticket is going to stick with. he is in favor of privatizing social security and overturning "roe v. wade" and making abortion criminal. on afghanistan, nobody has pressed them on afghanistan. now we know they are going to stick to the 2014 deadline but they also think that deadline is dangerous and a bad idea. that's the sign of a campaign that hasn't been pressed very much on that issue, that it made so little sense when they had to. >> very quickly, you obviously think biden won, but would you acknowledge that ryan passed the threshold test proving he was a plausible president and vice president if the need arose? >> on everything except foreign policy. i think paul ryan was out of his depth on foreign policy. maybe it wasn't fair to have him with a foreign correspondent moderator and former chair of the senate foreign relations committee there talking about foreign policy. there he bottomed out, and other than that he did just fine. >> we'll see you tonight on msnbc. >> we want to turn and take another perspective on the debate. we'll talk to michael smerconish, a nationally

syndicated talk show host. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> i'll start with the question i asked of rachel. the job of paul ryan was to hold on to the republican momentum, do you think he did that? in your mind is there a clear winner in this debate? >> i thought paul ryan turned in a very strong performance. in a word i thought that he was workman-like. he had never been, savannah, on a stage like that before. joe biden has been around that track as a presidential candidate, as a vice presidential candidate. i thought last night in many respects resembled "meet the press" more than it did a story like a debate, and joe biden is very skilled in that realm, but there's no shame in paul ryan's performance. i thought that particularly the gop base will love what they saw. he did not tack towards the center. he re-established his conservative bona fide, and probably each of the bases got what they were looking for out of that debate. >> let's talk about independent voters, michael, and they say that the economy is the issue they care about most. did paul ryan accomplish what he had to there? did he make his case or his case

and governor romney's case for the way they will handle the economy? >> you know, i have to disagree with what i heard rachel say a moment ago. i thought that paul ryan handled himself just fine on foreign policy and kept benghazi -- the whole situation in libya in play, and to your question, matt, i thought that joe biden got the edge relative to the economy because he did all of those things that the president failed to do. what was most stunning to me last night was the contrast, not between biden and ryan, but between biden and obama. joe biden let absolutely nothing pass. he took all that low-hanging fruit, and so with regard to the economy, he talked about the 47%. he talked about the bailout of detroit and constantly took his game to paul ryan, so on the economy i gave the edge to biden. >> very quickly, michael. vice presidential debates historically don't really matter that much at the end of the day with regard to the election. would you say the same about this one? >> no, i wouldn't.

you know, bush 41, savannah, used to talk about the big mo, and the big mo, big momentum has clearly been on the republican side of the ledger. i think that was thwarted last night, and what joe biden did was set the table for the next presidential debate. what will be interesting to see is whether president obama now mimics the debate style of joe biden. >> all right. michael smerconish, good to get your perspective this morning. thanks so much. >> thanks, michael. >> a lot of people reacting to this debate. online more than 4 million tweets were sent during the 90-minute showdown. >> needless to say a lot from celebrities, bill mahr who tweeted, hello, 911. there is an old man beating a child on tv, of course, referring to biden's body language which a lot of people were talking about on twitter. >> keeping in mind which side bill mahr tends to take. we're looking at some of the photos right now. actually some interesting sights have cropped up, including

biden's smirk or@bidensmirk or @bidensmiling. his gestures were the star of the night. >> there's an @laughingjoebiden and a lot of jokes on twitter whether biden secretly might have had an ipad on podium and was watching "blazing saddles." >> i think we've seen photos from the podium. we'll talk about that at the second. >> meanwhile, people have been analyzing paul ryan's demeanor, and we noticed something there, too. this is a thirsty guy. he drank a lot of water, and it's kind -- saw some funny things on twit bertha. people say he's really going to have to go after this debate. >> it's a 54-year-old man i would have had to get up two or three times during the debate had i done that, and the thirdite them a we want to talk about is apparently at some point a photographer took a shot down at the notes that were being taken, in particular by joe biden, and -- and shot those. now, some of the things that were on there, says no apology, egyptian people, bob gates. i'm not sure whether vice president biden was intending

for that to be photographed or just put up there -- by accident. i don't think that that's something that we should be privy to. i think candidates in this situation under the pressure they are under should be entitled to make any note they want and keep it private, but, again, he did kind of put it right up there. >> so the photographers couldn't help but snap away. then again nothing too exciting on that page. just some notes. no smoking gun or anything like that. >> yeah, exactly. let's get a check of the morning's top stories with natalie over at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone, defense secretary leon panetta is delivering a stark warning that the u.s. could soon face a cyber pearl harbor if the nation doesn't strengthen digital security. nbc's chief pentagon correspondent jim mick cheklasz has the very latest. >> reporter: secretary panta warned cyber attacks on america could be just as destructive as those attacks on 9/11 here in new york and at the pentagon.

he warned attacks on america's critical electric and water systems could actually be devastating, and for the first time pentagon officials are revealing that it was iran behind a series of attacks recently on america's major banking systems. now, secretary panetta called for a nationwide effort for government and business to build an entire skilled army of cyber warriors to confront this threat, but he had a very ominous warning. he reminded everybody that early warning signs of the 9/11 attacks here in america went largely ignored. he said that cannot happen again, that we are now in a pre- 9/11 moment, and the terrorists are plotting. >> jim miklaszewski at the pentagon, thanks, jim. police in pakistan say they have arrested three suspects involved in the attack on 14-year-old activist malala yousafzai. she was gunned down on a school bus tuesday, targeted by the taliban for her fearless advocacy for girls' education.

she remains in critical condition. the alleged mastermind of the attack, a top taliban commander, is still at large. lebanese militant group hezbollah has declared that a drone downed over israel last week was theirs. israeli officials say the drone appeared to have been manufactured in iran, a longtime ally of hezbollah. and a winner for this year's nobel peace prize this morning. in a unanimous decision the committee awarded this year's prize to the european union for its landmark role in history uniting the continent. the award downplays the current eurozone debt crisis, straining its 17 nations. investigators searching for a missing 10-year-old girl in colorado are appealing to the public for help in finding her apparent abductor. meantime today, police expect to positive positively identify a body near the spot where jess "k" ridgeway disappeared one week ago. officials say the condition of the body has delayed identification and gave no

indication of its age or gender. now let's head to wall street and cnbc's mandy drury at the new york stock exchange for us. mandy, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you as well, natalie. so far the s&p 500 index has had its biggest weekly drop and after hitting a record high two weeks ago apple stock is now at a two-month low. elsewhere, microsoft says a new version of its office software, many of us use, that is going to be available in the first quarter of next year. have a great weekend. back to you. >> all right. you, too, mandy, take care. if the vp debate didn't provide enough fireworks, check out this moment from the congressional campaign trail in california last night where rival democratic congressman bradsherman and howard berman nearly turned verbal sparring into hand-to-hand combat. sherman put his arm around rival representative berman an yanked him to his chest and challenged him to a fight saying, quote, do you want to get into this? a police officer actually had to jump in there and separate the two.

it's 7:17 right now. back to savannah, al and matt. where is the civility? >> our democracy at work. and they are in the same party, right? >> exactly the thriller in manila though. >> exactly. >> you want a piece of this? come on. >> mr. roker, what's going on? >> i'm doing okay. let's see how the rest of us are doing weather-wise. we've got a risk of severe storms stretching from dallas all the way to chicago and minneapolis. threat of damaging winds. look at this. as we head on into tomorrow we're looking at this risk of strong storms. can you see them firing up all the way from minneapolis and back down into texas. rainfall amounts, anywhere from 2 to 4 inches of rain, from oklahoma city all the way up to milwaukee. that's what's going on around s

>> and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> thank you. barbra streisand is one of the world's most successful performers entertaining all around the globe and never in her hometown of brooklyn, until now. nbc's mara schiavocampo is live with more. mara, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. last night this place was packed with excited fans clamoring for a chance to see streisand's first ever performance here in brooklyn. of course, she was born and raised here, and until now she had never returned for a show. >> hello, brooklyn! >> reporter: it was a homecoming a lifetime in the making. ♪ that face

>> reporter: barbra streisand's first ever performance in her native brooklyn, one fans have waited decades for. >> i worked my butt off to get tickets for tonight. i'm like, it's brooklyn. her first show here. >> reporter: coming from all over the world. >> seriously. >> reporter: you came just from france? >> yeah. >> reporter: including, of course, brooklyn. you were born in brooklyn? >> born in brooklyn, went to ps-36. >> reporter: for the newly erected bark lays center which seats 19,000 a performance for streisand was an obvious choice bringing their most famous superstar home. ♪ beneath the moon, the stars >> when you come back and perform and your family and friends are there, you know, and you're being a star in front of them and, you know, down the street from where you grew up, i mean, that's got to have an extra special allure. >> reporter: born in 1942, streisand grew up in the flat flush section of brooklyn. >> i came from brooklyn. we sat on the stoops.

people hung out windows. it was -- there was no air conditioning, you know. it was great. >> reporter: since then the actress, singer, director has risen to the top of the entertainment world. babs as her fans adoringly call her has won virtually every award there is, including oscars, emmys, grammys and golden globes. but for streisand, who has performed in new york city several times, playing close to home is one of the greatest honors of all as she told "today's" meredith vieira in 2009. >> you said tonight you came full circle. this was full circle. >> mm-hmm, yeah, where i was and where i am, back to the beginning but second time around. ♪ memories >> reporter: returning to an old stomping ground to create new memories. ♪ memories >> reporter: now, that first show sold out so quickly that a second performance was added for

saturday. that one also sold out so, savannah, clearly still a diva in demand. >> mara, did i hear you singing a little bit on that? >> i got into the spirit a little bit as well. can't deny it. >> as you should. mara schiavocampo, thank you. just ahead, a warning before you get your chimney checked this season. will you be burned by the companies you call? a rossum report hidden camera, and then later a face only a mother could love. we'll introduce you to one of new york's newest residents, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

david smallwood: maryland money needs to stay in maryland. it's just that simple, i mean, it's a no brainer. anncr: every year marylanders spend five hundred and fifty... million at casinos in west virginia, delaware... and pennsylvania. one west virginia paper calls it a "cash cow" for them. but its cost maryland over one billion dollars. money that could have created good jobs and... better schools for us. question seven keeps maryland money in maryland. david smallwood: question seven, i think it will be a...

good thing for the state of maryland. just ahead, feast your eyes on this. a rare flawless 76-carat diamond. >> i do, after your local news. [ female announcer ] dear sweet tooth, i love you.

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before you go outside. never! it's a new fiber one chewy bar. chocolatey and delicious. mmm. [ male announcer ] new fiber one chewy bars. great taste kids love plus calcium and fiber kids need. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. maryland is remembering former state senator clarence mitchell iii. he was one of the nation's youngest legislators at one time, elected to the maryland house of delegates to just 22 years old. he was known as a fierce civil rights advocate. funeral arrangements are still

pending. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> getting word of an accident on carroll county along gorsuch road and manchester ave. delays are developing there. that is coming in in the past few minutes. slow down on the northeast outer loop at harford towards providence. we are looking at delays just prior to the fort mchenry told plaza. not too bad out of the white marsh area at the moment. if you are heading out there in pylesville, we have an accident wrapping up. coming towards us is out of traffic on the north side. typical volume-related delays. we are starting to develop an eastbound delay just prior to the beltway. >> it is currently in the 40's right now across much of the

metro area. 49 degrees downtown. 43 in catonsville, 42 in randallstown. high temperatures and in the mid-60's this afternoon. a lot of sunshine with a few clouds and greasy winds out of the northwest. if your guests to 30 -- a few gusts up to 30 miles per hour. 30s widespread across the area. 59 tomorrow for the

let's just gaze at this for a while. a rare, flawless 76-carat diamond, related to the hope diamond in the british crown jewels. it could fetch more than $15 million on the auction block and -- >> what do you do with a diamond that big? it can't be a ring. is that just a pendant. >> that's a problem i'd like to have. >> see if we can figure that out. >> i will. >> get you a very heavy chain for that. >> exactly. 7:30 now on a friday morning, october 12th, 2012. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer. >> we'll have a guy on this show this morning who can probably afford to buy that diamond.

we're talking about donald trump. he'll be here to reveal the new cast of "celebrity apprentice." this time there is a catch. he'll explain that. we'll also get his thoughts on the vice presidential debate as well. he was live tweeting during it last night. >> oh, okay, good. get ready to say, oh. the orphaned baby walrus. look at that face. getting a second chance at life at the new york aquarium and already winning fans around here. >> and as the weather gets a little bit colder, now's the time to get your fireplace inspected, but will the chimney company charge you for repairs that you don't need? wait until you see the results of our hidden camera rossen reports investigation. >> all right. we want to begin with a fictional horror movie that turned into a real life horror. that's what happened to the director of a low budget slasher movie called "smiley" released today. nbc's mike taibbi has the details on this story. mike, good morning? here's the problem for michael gallagher. the bad guys in his website

include a shadoey website and hacker group who has in the past penetrated government agencies and personal lives and once the online entities were mentioned in the film, gallagher and those close to him were targeted. >> tried to kill me. >> reporter: title character "smiley" is an urban legend killer who prowls for victims in the dark corners of the internet. >> you called smiley, and he came. >> reporter: dark corners that include the controversial message board 4chan and the hacker group anonymous. just a plot device, gallagher says, based on what is known about those so-called hacktivists. >> they communicate by sending pornographic images and gore and violence and very disturbing messages. >> reporter: gallagher, 23, and his 24-year-old lead actor, shane dawson, are internet entrepreneurs who have been posting videos for years on youtube and other sites. between them they have so many followers that the trailer for "smiley" has had nearly 18 million hits, many since gallagher made it known that

personal details about him and about others involved in the film were all over the internet and creating havoc. >> and not only posting that information but then detailing plans of what they want people to do to me. i mean, there's lots of death threats, very obscene and horrible things they talk about myself and girlfriend and even our dog. >> reporter: gallagher's girlfriend, a co-star in the film, was rattled by the scores of threats she's received. >> it's been very, very tough. yeah, it's been emotional >> reporter: dawson, no stranger to negative reaction to his own earlier videos realize quickly hacktivists are a different sort. >> you're not supposed to really talk about them, a different sort. >> reporter: the self-described anonymous poster who asked that his identity be obscured told nbc news the threats against the film-makers are no surprise to him. >> i think that anybody who has hung around the internet long

enough knows that death threats are thrown around like they are nothing. i think that what's happening is that they are using this as harassment in the extreme. for them it's sort of okay, you -- you used your death threat and that's -- you know, that provoked the reaction you want. therefore it's funny. therefore that's what they wanted out of it. >> reporter: gallagher has turned over threatening posts and voice mails to the fbi. >> they understand the severity of what's happening. >> reporter: and so does one cyber security expert who says the threats to gallagher cannot be dismissed. >> i think what he is facing is a bunch of hackers who are taunting him and saying look what you have done, don't mess with us. >> reporter: well, "smiley" opens tonight in select amc theaters nationwide, and it will be interesting to see the box office numbers and the dvd sales are like for a movie really about life in the digital age imitating art, imitating life. savannah? >> let me comprehend that. mike typy in los angeles, thanks so much. we want to turn now and get

a check of the wetter from al. >> thanks so much, savannah. a little brisk out here. everybody feeling pretty good. got some friends here from nebraska who are very excited about nebraska, and your weather out west is going to be a big problem for nebraska later. all that moisture makes its way in. look at this. we've got three big systems making their way into the pacific northwest and that's going to bring a lot of rain over the next 72 hours into parts of the pacific northwest, all the way down into northern california, and we've got a frigid start here in the northeast. saturday we've got freeze warnings and freeze watches in effect from cleveland all the way to portland, maine, and as far south as washington, d.c. the lows on saturday, 41 in d.c., 38 in new york. look at binghamton, new york, 28 degrees and seranac lake, awfully chill, a temperature of 25. that's what's going on around the country.

>> that's your latest weather. good thing it's going to be chilly. it's perfect football weather. just in time for sunday night "football night in america." the packers head into reliant stadium to take on the houston texans. it's a retractable stadium, so don't worry about the inside, but if you're tailgating, look for a few showers and some thunderstorms. temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. that's on sunday night "football night in america." >> all right, al.

thanks. coming up next, chimney companies put to the test. will you be charged for unnecessary repairs? our hidden camera rossen reports. and what happened? kathie lee explains how it is she managed to drop a puppy live on her fourth hour, but first these messages. [ male announcer ] there's everyday chicken and then there's juicy chicken with hellmann's ♪ hellmann's is the secret to making parmesan crusted chicken... [ bell dings ] ...so crispy so juicy so delicious it's your secret to making dinner disappear hellmann's. bring out the best nature valley trail mix bars are made with real ingredients you can see. like whole roasted nuts, chewy granola, and real fruit. nature valley trail mix bars.

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so the production of twix was divided between two separate factories. left twix factory cascades caramel and chocolate onto cookie, while right twix factory flows caramel and chocolate onto cookie. today they share nothing, but a wrapper and a driveway. try both and pick a side.

we're back now at 7:40 and this morning on "rossen reports," putting chimney companies to the test. so what really happens when you call them to inspect your fireplace? well, today national investigative correspondent jeff rossen is here with more on that. jeff, good morning. >> hey, matt, good morning. one of the only things i like about the cold weather we get to use the fireplace. we all love it, but experts say

your chimney, if it's in the in good condition, it can be dangerous, even set your house on fire. that's why you hire those chimney companies it make sure everything is safe. so we're calling them to our house. will we get burned? this morning we're going undercover. ♪ chestnuts roasting on an open fire ♪ >> reporter: there's nothing quite like it, snuggling with the family in front of a warm, crackling fire. >> get the camera out of my [ bleep ] face, bro. >> reporter: but these chimney guys. >> i'm not [ bleep ] kidding, man. >> don't touch the camera. >> reporter: aren't in the mood. >> can you get the camera off of me now? >> reporter: we hired them to inspect our chimney, so what would we find? >> did your boss tell you to clean this chimney whether it needed it or not? >> reporter: we rented this home in suburban new york with a fireplace and chimney in good working condition. we know because we had three certified chimney experts inspect it from top to bottom,

using high-tech video cameras. >> the chimney is in good condition. >> reporter: inspecting for water damage, even going on the roof to check the cap and the crown. >> safety-wise, it's in excellent condition. >> reporter: we had the chimney swept and recalked. >> i've been doing this for 30 years. >> reporter: we even brought in one of the nation's top experts, ashley eldridge, a director at the chimney safety institute of america. he confirmed our chimney's in good shape. so if a company says you need repairs today. >> that's not true. >> reporter: we wired up our house with 11 hidden cameras, putting them in birdhouses, on the roof, even in the fireplace itself. >> good boy. >> reporter: then we had this mom melissa pose as a new homeowner. >> i'm calling to get my fireplace and chimney inspected. >> reporter: we had melissa call eight companies telling them she

wants a full safety inspection. hi, how are you? >> reporter: one, by one the chimney techs arrived. >> getting up on the roof. >> reporter: in the control room in the basement watching with our expert. >> just removed it recently and my kids and everything else. >> i know where you're coming from. >> reporter: good news. after inspecting our chimney. honestly this thing is pretty clean. >> this company gives melissa the thumbs up. >> you're in relatively good shape with this thing. >> okay. >> reporter: four more companies show up. >> it's good. >> fine, good to go. >> brand new. >> everything looks perfect in there. it doesn't need a cleaning now. >> hi, how are you? >> reporter: this next company has a different opinion. >> yes, this is dirty. >> cleaning it is included in their inspection, no extra charge. so we let them. they say it's safe. >> you can use it today. >> reporter: hi, how are you? >> reporter: but if everything is fine, why did the next

companies find problems that will cost us? this tech does a quick inspection and then has some scary news. >> does it need to be cleaned or -- >> yeah, it does because all this right here, you want to get this up, and that. >> yeah. >> that is what can start fires. >> reporter: a chimney fire? our experts say what he is pointing at is harmless debris that. can't start a fire. >> so that's something that is dangerous that i should get done before i make a fire? >> yes, you'd want to get done now, to be honest with you. >> reporter: charge for the inspection and cleaning. >> $139. >> reporter: hi, jeff rossen from nbc news. three certified experts look at this chimney, just swept recently and hasn't been used since and they say it's in good shape so why are you changing $139 to sweep the chimney. >> my boss said if it needed to be cleaned, to lean it. >> reporter: did your boss tell you to clean this chimney regardless of whether it needed a cleaning or not? his boss later told us he never tells his employees to do

unnecessary work and asked to check our fireplace himself. >> that is dirty. >> reporter: our expert acknowledged that it could be cleaner, but amount of debris doesn't even come close to warrant a cleaning. can that cause a fire hazard? >> not as it is. >> reporter: he said it did. he said this can cause a chimney fire. >> he didn't use the word chimney fire, i don't believe. >> reporter: yes, he did. >> that is what can start chimney fires. >> reporter: the boss admits his tech only had a week of experience. as he may have been mistaken, but still stands behind him. >> hi, how are you? >> reporter: but this next company takes the repair list to a new level. >> first, i think we should clean the chimney. >> okay. >> which is 145. >> reporter: as it gets even pricier. he also says melissa needs a new ash door because it's rusted shut. >> 150 for the door on the bottom. >> reporter: and she needs water proofing. >> and water seal the chimney. >> water seal which is 475. >> reporter: he says it's necessary to fix a water

problem. >> what happens is the water goes -- from the outside and starts to leach out of here, okay, and i see that here, okay, and if you let that go, this is going to look like hell after a while. >> reporter: but our expert says that white stuff is just part of the stone, not evidence of a water problem. >> it needs to be done anyway. the cleaning needs to be done, the water proofing needs to be done and the door needs to be done. >> reporter: his total price, $750. we have some questions. you stant by your 750 estimate. >> i'm a reputable company, and this is what i was thinking. >> reporter: he says he wasn't pushing our mom, just making recommendations. you're the expert and you tell this mom it has to be done. of course she's going to believe you. but our experts say it's in good shape right now, doesn't need the water sealing and doesn't need the door. >> dude, i've got to go. >> reporter: then he gets agitated. >> don't touch the camera. >> get out of my [ bleep ] face. >> reporter: his boss later said he agrees with his tech, the

chimney needs those repairs and his company has many very satisfied customers. but our expert says in this industry there's little regulation. >> anyone who chooses to become a chimney sweep can with no formal training as all. >> reporter: who knows who is coming up to your front door. >> you don't. >> reporter: the best advice look for companies with trained text that are certified. if you want to find companies in your area, there's a link on our website right now, today.com. click on the rossen report section. there's a report for you, and by the way, matt, get your chimney swept or cleaned or inspected at least once a year. >> hats off to the four companies who came and did the exact same thing. love seeing that. mr. rossen, thanks very much. just ahead we'll call kathie lee and hoda to find out why kathie lee dropped a puppy on live tv. that's right after this. these fellas used capital one venture miles for a golf getaway. double miles you can actually use...

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so what's the expression you should never work with kids or animals? well, take a look at what happens. this is a story involving our own kathie lee gifford. here's what happened in our fourth hour on thursday. >> puppy needs a bathy. >> oh, oh, oh. >> that's what we don't do. >> puppy took a nosedivy. >> i'm sorry, honey. i'm sorry. >> puppy's okay. >> the puppy's okay. kathie lee and hoda are on the phone right now. kathie lee, have you gotten over this? >> the puppy is okay, but i'm a wreck. >> yeah, i know. this was upsetting for you. >> this is upsetting for me. i have three dogs of my own and adore dogs and have realized what the problem was. the problem is that this dog did not want to go home with hoda. >> i'm on the phone. >> he wanted to go back. he knows hoda is looking to adopt a dog, and he -- he knows what her apartment is like, and there's no way. >> wow. >> get me away. >> hoda, looking at your

reaction. you really under-react there had. >> look, i was terrified for that calk when it took that kamikaze dive away from kathie lee. and also claims because he smelled funny which i'll attest to. i'll attest to. it wasn't good. >> there was an opportunity for you to dive and catch the puppy, and you went in the other direction. >> that was not a great reaction. i'm kind of embarrassed. >> kathie lee dropped her like a boxed wine. >> actually she drinks that, too. >> i've got to tell you. hoda is right. can you tell how much i love animals because that dog wreaked. he was adorable but he stunk. >> my dress smelled when i got home. >> oh, blame the victim, geez. >> i couldn't love him enough. ♪

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news and a baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> there are a few problems, the latest at glen burnie. you are looking at delays on southbound 295 from 195 down to 32. if you want to travel and it was mr, gorsuch road and manchester avenue, there are some delays. a backup developing on eastbound i-70 from marriottsville towards 29. the j.f.x. is the data backup from the beltway southbound.

on average, 30 miles per hour. its logo on the outer loop from harford towards providence. update on 95 just south of the beltway northeast. we will switch over to a live view of traffic onto 95, showing the big lights southbound for bertram 100 down to 32. over to you, ava. >> it is going to be even colder tonight. 50 degrees downtown, 44 a b.w.i. thurgood marshall, 43 in catonsville. the forecast this afternoon, high temperatures in the mid- 60's. we have a few clouds in the sky. the biggest concern is the strong winds out of the northwest. if you gusts up to 30 -- a few gusts up to 30 miles per hour.

we dropped into the 30's across the majority of the area. some spots dip into the freezing mark. we have a freeze watch for the majority of the northern and western side of

it's 8:00 now on a friday morning. it's the 12th day of october, 2012. and it's a chilly morning here in mid-town manhattan. as we look around the corner on to 49th street here. that bus inside there, the cast of the new "celebrity apprentice," season 13. that's right, and that man right there, donald trump, is going to be firing all but one of them, and he'll reveal the cast in just a couple of minutes. also. we'll ask mr. trump about last negotiate's vice presidential debate. he, of course, is a supporter of the mitt romania any ticket. we'll find out what he thought about it last night >> i think he had his firing

face on. >> also tweeting during the debate last night so we'll find out about that. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie and ale roker. >> speaking of stars, we have another star in our studio. of the 76-carat variety. that diamond is worth $15 million. it's here. we're going to look at it. i think they might let us touch it, but i cannot bring it home, unfortunately. >> a direct relative of the hope diamond, but hope all you want, you're not getting that. >> diamonds have babies? >> they have relatives. >> come from the same mine. just learned that this morning. >> mine, mine, mine. plus on the friday whip, we've got the hottest and most exotic tips in food, fashion and beauty, and we also want to remind you to send us in your video of show us your moves today. that's right. a great contest we're running. if you want a chance to take part in our october 26th dance-off on the plaza, you will go head to head with matt lauer.

all you have to do is head to today.com. >> we've got some really goodentries so far. still time for our dance party. october 26th. matt, you've been talking about going ga"gangnam style." >> you're not. >> i'll go foxtrot with you. natalie has a check of all the headlines. natalie, take it away democrat joe biden stayed on the offensive during the first and only presidential debate pressing rival paul ryan on issues including abortion, tax cuts and mitt romney's statement that 47% of americans view themselves as victims. ryan fought back with statistics and a warning that president obama will raise taxes on the middle class. he brushed aside the vice president's aggressiveness by joking that biden was under a lot of duress to make up for lost ground. the retired space shuttle

"endeavour" started its final road trip overnight to the california science center. it rolled out of the hangar at los angeles international airport for a 12-mile two-day trip through city streets. hundreds of trees were cut down to clear the path. the city says many of those trees were slated for removal anyway. kellogg's is recalling nearly 3 million boxes of bite-sized and unfrosted mini wheats cereal. the boxes may contain bits of flexible mesh from a faulty manufacturing part. kellogg says there's been no reports of any injuries. the zumba prostitution scandal could explode if the judge allows them to release the names of alleged customers. the 27-year-old zumba instructed pled not guilty to running a prostitution ring out of her fitness studio and small office. wright secretly videotaped the encounters. now a look at what's trending. a quick roundup of what has you

talking online. the new trailer for "zero dark thirty" has the internet, a hunt for osama bin laden from "the hurt locker" director katherine big low. >> you really believe this story? osama bin laden. >> yeah. >> what part convinced you? >> her confidence. >> and "zero dark thirty" is scheduled for a december release." imagine when a beachcomber found this giant eyeball on the shore. experts are trying to determine what type of see creature it came from. and the rolling stones have released "gloom and doom," their first new single in more than six years with lyrics about nightmares and zombies, a classic example of the stone's

apocalyptic rock. ♪ ♪ all is darkness in my room >> "gloom and doom" will be featured on the group's upcoming 50th anniversary collection titled "grrr." 8:05. back outside for a check of the weather. grrr. >> grrr. not to be confused with the pirates, arghhh. there you go, thanks. we've got a brand new 10 year. what's your name? >> lucy. >> how does it feel to be double digits? >> awesome. >> awesome, all right. let's see if our weather is awesome, as we check our pick city of the day, lubbock, texas. not awesome this, news channel 11. showers and storms and 78 degrees. as you look, heavy thunderstorms are now making their way kentucky on into tennessee. we've got wet weather stretching through the upper great lakes, on into new england. we'll see some wet weather here a little bit later on in the

northeast. a slight risk of strong storms, texas into nebraska and kansas. wet weather also in the pacific northwest. some mountain snowsnt >> and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> all right. coming up next, donald trump is here and will reveal the new cast of "the celebrity apprentice" coming up right after this. [ dog 1 ] i am not a vegetarian! yeah, i might have ears like a rabbit... but i want to eat meat!

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and the doctor said, cindie, you have shingles. he said, you had chickenpox when you were a little girl... i said, yes, i did. i don't think anybody ever thinks they're going to get shingles. but it happened to me. for more of the inside story, visit shinglesinfo.com we're back now at 8:10. "celebrity apprentice" is about to kick off its 13th season here on nbc, and for lucky number 13 donald trump is bringing back a group of all-stars from previous seasons. we'll unveil the cast in just a little while, but first donald trump, good morning. good to see you. >> good morning. >> you were live tweeting during the vice presidential debate last night. your overall impression, who won? >> really very even. both did a really good job, i have to say. very different.

but both were solid. it was not like the first debate where actually mitt was very good and the president had an off night. >> you know, can i say, a little surprised at your tweets because you are partisan in this. >> i am. >> and i thought you would be pumping ryan and saying what a great job and biden is bad, and you really were very much down the center of the road. >> very much like "the apprentice." i really am fair. i'm basically a fair person. i think the vice president did a great job, and i think both sides really did a good job, and very, very different. >> do you think that joe biden accomplished what some people said he had to accomplish last night which was to steady the ship and get momentum at least either back on the president's side or at least away from mitt romney. >> i do. he gave it a little energy, and, again, it was very good, two very talented guys, two good guys, but he gave it some energy. the democrats needed that. i'll tell you what. the president really got beaten by mitt, and they really needed a boost. so i don't say, you know, it wasn't a victory, but he did stabilize the ship. >> are you happy with the romney

campaign right now? in the last couple of weeks he has clearly moved towards the center, way closer to the center than he was during the primaries and the early part of the campaign. his comments on abortion out in ohio. are you hearing from mitt romney what you want to hear from him right now? >> yes, i am. i think he's doing amazingly. it started with the debate. we were all a little bit worried for a while. he just knocked it out of the park in the debate, and you look at polls, he's generally winning. >> but you think he's the same candidate that you signed on with several months ago? >> i think he's a great candidate. >> same candidate? >> yes, i think he's a great candidate. >> let's get to your cast, okay? >> all right. >> got your teammates and your members of the cast for the 13th season of "celebrity apprentice." why don't we introduce them. we've get bret michaels, claude yo jordan, gary busey, lisa renner, littlejohn, dee snider. >> right. >> look at dennis, are you?

>> brandy, and we have stephen baldwin, trace atkins who has become a big monster in the music world because of trump. i want like 10%. mary lou, the greatest memory of them all and penn gillette. i can't get tickets to his shows in los angeles anymore. >> guys, welcome. good to have you here. i'm looking over the group. you're the only one who has won this thing, is that true in. >> this year is going to be insane competition, insane. the level is going to be crazy. >> why would you come back? isn't it a lose-lose situation for you? you've already won the thing >> i don't look at it like that. >> i agree with matt. >> you know, the other winners are going to be hosts with me. >> right. >> you're the only one on the show, and i was surprised you came back, but i think it's great. >> last time i was -- i was really sick, and this time i'm ready to come back, but being a lifelong diabetic, i'm ready. >> there's steven and trace, were you on the same season. >> yes. >> any bad blood simmering between the two of you. any vendettas to be settled?

>> i hate him. >> i love it. >> yeah. >> how is it -- how is it going to go this year? you going to bring back old rivalries? >> i think so far it's been very sweet and peaceful and calm, but that's kind of scary. i think we've got a couple of zingers that are coming. should be very exciting. >> lisa, you were the second contestant fired during your season. >> yes, thanks, matt, i was. >> not the best performance. >> no. >> so based on what you know about this show now, how do you improve on that? >> well, again, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. i didn't really get a shot last time. i didn't get to get my groove on, so let's see. i don't really know what i'm capable of. >> speaking of not getting a shot last time, gary, you complained last time that everybody ganged up on you. >> that's true. they did. the name of our group was back bone, but i changed the name to back stabbers. it was tough, but i endured. >> why would you put yourself back in the position? >> because i'm a champion.

>> the heart of a lion. >> the heart of everything. >> mary lou, last time you were on the show was for your memory. you've got this incredible memory. do you remember the moment he fired you? >> oh, yes, absolutely. it was november the 1st, it was a thursday. yes, absolutely. >> how are you going to do things differently this time in. >> there's a different energy with this group. everybody has been through it before. everybody knows what to expect. people, we know each other's strengths and weaknesses and have seen the show. i think people are here to have a great time and to support their charity. >> all right. dennis, last time you were on the show you got kind of ushered away, and there were kes about you and your physical and mental state at the time. >> well, that's just the way it is. i don't hide behind the bushes. >> people thought that you had a drinking problem, okay? how are you now? >> i'm fine, brother. i'm fine. mr. trump, very nice to bring

gummy back for the third time and like i said, you know, you don't have to like me for me to win this whole thing. like a basketball game. here to play and win and to have a good time. >> guys on the end, littlejohn looking at you, fourth last time? >> yeah. >> okay. so you're not the underdog. i think you surprised a lot of people last time, so how do you go about trying to win this this time? >> have fun and just enjoy myself and play the game. >> if there is an evil genius in this group, i think i know who it is, would you agree it's penn? >> oh. goodness. >> no. >> not me, sir. >> definitely not evil. he's a genius but not evil. >> season 13, guys, have fun, all right. you have fun as well. >> thank you. >> this thing's been going on for a long time. great to have you guys. >> appreciate it. >> and by the way, we should mention the other cast members who could not be here today,

omorosa is still on the show. >> she might get fired. >> i would think for not being here. >> all-star "celebrity apprentice" will be coming up. the hottest trends in food, fashion and beauty coming up right after this. thank you, guys. [ woman ] ring. ring. progresso. your soups are so awesomely delicious my husband and i can't stop eating 'em! what's...that... on your head?

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from seven for all mankind. the fit is amazing, and these are a little bit of an investment piece but if you want the seal on them from marshalls, under $20. what you're really looking for is snake and python prints in all different colors. >> investment price, translation, pricey. these rain boots have an exotic print. >> this is matthew williamson. we all wear them all summer long for flip flops. they make ryan boots. partnered with matthew williamson for a special anniversary collection. >> okay. >> 125 at haviana.com. >> tell us about these shrugs. >> these are from fc.com. a global marketplace from all over the place. these shrugs are from all over the world. >> body jewelry. >> very exotic. new port beach, something from faraway places. >> tribal-inspired jewelry.

looks exotic. >> very exotic. made right here in new york city. made by a company called holst & lei, beautiful statement pieces, inspired by executive places an exotic people. >> and last but not least, the custom made jewelry. >> this is haji couture, leather and jowls and beautiful feathers of all of the pieces are made to order, all custom and totally affordable. >> and nice and furry, too. >> thanks so much. >> natalie. >> thank you, savannah. moving on to what's up, exotic beauty. lindsey huggins is editor at "self" magazine. what are the latest trends in exotic beaute? >> good morning. so many things you can put in your makeup bag to travel like you've been to africa or india. to start we have argon oil, something that comes from morocco. what's great about this is you usually use it in your hair are and now this is something that you can find in lip balms, in eye shadows. it comes from a nut tree and it's got tons of vitamin e and

omega three. >> great for the skin. >> there's moroccan oil that i absolutely love. >> for the hair, for the body. >> for the body. >> so it's wonderful. >> fantastic. >> what about in nails? add a little exotic flair as well? >> i am actually wearing e-cat, something really fun, taken state from the national runways and what's great about this is these are actual stickers. no try time, no chips. i filed these last night and how awesome are they? >> all week jut like getting a manicure. >> over here to the eyes. seems like the cat eye is the big trend we're seeing. >> exactly. this is borrowed from ancient egypt. what's great about this is coal is a mineral around obviously forever and professional makeup artists have been using it for years. now the everyday woman can go to your local drug store and get this. easy to apply now, you know. >> easier than the liquid liners for sure. >> lack at these beautiful palettes of makeup. inspired by the exotic motif.

>> safari, everything from the packaging, to eye shadows, lip palettes, everything, something for everyone here. >> okay. last, what's over here? >> do-it-yourself hena and what i love is being confident and bold when wearing this, on the wrist, arm, neck. it's really fun and playful. >> lindsey huggins, thanks so much. here's al. >> thanks so much. we'll figure out what's in when it comes to exotic food. mark, good to see you from "men's journal." to start off, a soft spicy salami. >> unlike any salami you'll find at any grocery store. comes from a san francisco shop called boccalone. try that. it's intense and spicy and delicious. >> that's great. almost like a salami spread. >> great for a sandwich. >> these are finger "l.a. times"

from australia. >> a little sweeter than regular "l.a. times" and filled with kind of a citrus caviar, these polyps of flavors. we have it with an oyster but spoon it over a sweet dessert to balance it out and put them on a taco. >> what do we have here? >> bouju. >> gesundheit. >> it's kind of a statele of southern french cooking and like a ven gar and less acidic and experiment with it. >> what is this? >> this is bartaga, sounds gross. basically press the salt eggs, dried, cured, pressed salt eggs, and it's -- it's kind of a secret we oven italian restaurants. >> and finally american prush o

prosciutto. mark, thank you. more after your local news. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell. >> we have some accidents to watch for on northbound harrisburg expressway prior to timonium road. inner loop delays from 795 towards the j.f.x. falls road and broadway, watch for an accident. watch for another one in westminster at market street. gorsuch road and manchester avenue, we have an accident wrapping up. glen burnie, watch for crash.

delays on southbound 2951195 down to 32. let's give you a live view of a couple of spots, starting on a 83 north of the beltway. live view of 295, southbound slow and. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> not a bad wrap up to the work week. we do have the winds out of the northwest, 10 to 20 mi. per hour. a jacket may help to cut those wins. tonight, mostly clear skies. some areas may see frost tomorrow, maybe even a freeze. watch out if you have plans outdoors. we are chilly tomorrow for the baltimore running festival. 40s downtown for the marathon. by sunday, warmer flows.

at this point, a 40% chance. back to the sixties for the rest of the work week. >> we are back with another update at 8:56. and i've got my pumpkin k-cup packs for at home. now i can have my pumpkin coffee any time i want it. pumpkin's perfect. it's dunkin' with the press of a button. new pumpkin k-cup packs, only at dunkin' restaurants. america runs on dunkin' coffee.

i'm drinking dunkin'. i'm just in love with the flavor.

i get mine black. i don't want to take away from that pure taste. so smooth, no bitterness. it's awesome. there's no other taste like it. america runs on dunkin' coffee. e 8:30 now on this friday morning. it's the 12th day of october, 2012. we have a lovely crowd on a fine beautiful sunny day on rockefeller plaza. a lot of folks getting a head start on their weekend. we'll say hello to them. good morning, again, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer and natalie morales and mr. al roker. our studio, did you notice it's

a bit more sparkly in. >> very sparkly and also filled with security guards. >> exactly. all because of this, janstonenn anniston's engagement ring. it's $15 million. going on auction. and also have some other pretty jewels. >> also a watch that's maybe going to go for 2.5 million to $3 million. >> not just any watch. >> anthony buourdain is in the studio known for traveling the world and also known for torching his fellow celebrity chefs. last night he got a taste of his own medicine. he was roasted at the new york wine and food festival and here to tell us how that felt. >> i'm sure it will be great. and if you're planning to do a little outlet shopping this weekend, we've got the five things that you need to score the best deal and don't get

taken for a run. >> soleil moon frye, frequent guest on the show, is back with us today to help us out with our "take 3," and she will be telling us about all the new apps and websites we should be downloading or going to. >> okay. let get a check of the weather before that. >> take a look at weekend. a gorgeous day tomorrow on the south atlantic coast, risk of thunderstorms from central texas all the way into the mississippi river valley. mountain snows in the northern rockies of the sunday, sunday, wet weather from the great lakes and into new england. risk of storms in the mid-mississippi river valley. more rain in the pacific northwest. lots of showers and thunderstorms down through the gulf

>> and that's your latest weather. let's find out what's happening with all of our friends on the smuckers jars. let's check in with big willy. >> got to try it. natural peanut butter smuckers. au natural. you got t.happy birthday. check it, if you will. our birthday buddy today is molly eskin, from effort, pennsylvania, 10 it years old. loves to cook and do crossword puzzles but not at the same time. how about this, if you will, please, beautiful willie ortman from hollywood, not california. an actor with that smile. hollywood florida, 100 years old. secret to longevity is fast cars and slow women.

sylvia is the lovely sylvia sandler, dedham, massachusetts. 101 years old, and enjoys shopping and going to lunch with her beautiful daughter. the family that sticks together. henry donaldson from iva, south carolina, is 106 years old today. and he loves farming. he also grows potatoes on his farm. haz hazel bohn, frederic, wisconsin, an avid woman and also a woman's basketball fan. loves those women basketball games. guy mcreynolds from bakeserfield, california, 100 years old. secret to longevity is a good martini. hmm, a little dry there. ann scott, i love that name, beautiful. potsdam, new york, 104 years old, and she has devoted her life to teaching and hard work, something we don't know anything about here on the "today" show. we just lay back.

now back to new york. >> all right, willard. thanks. how long have you been here this morning? >> 5:00 a.m. >> that's dedication, and she's cold. >> coming up next, the 76-carat diamond in our studio and the security to tell you all about it. but first, are you ready ?

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>> back at 8:37, being dazzled this morning by a 76-carat diamond, the largest and most perfect of its kind. called the archcuke joseph diamond, one of the most rarest and famous gems in the whole world and it will be auctioned off at christie's next month. welcome. >> thank you. >> let's just gander at this thing. >> this thing is huge. >> unbelievable. >> it's a very large stone, and i've been told i need to teach you how to hold the stone.

>> get to hold it. >> respect the diamond, over 400 years old. >> you told me to be careful not to drop it, and i said aren't diamonds the hardest substance in the world. >> they are hard but there they go. >> archduke joseph diamond. any nicknames for it? >> we call it the big joe. they come from the earliest known mines to man, before christ. >> where the hope diamond came from and one of the diamonds in the crown jewel. is that a big deal, the lineage of the diamond? >> apart from the lineage that the stone has, the fact that it comes from one that stopped producing in 1725, it's a very dig deal. >> why is it up for auction then, and do you really expect it to go for more than 76 million? >> we sold it in 1993 for $7 million, and it's n up for sale at 15. i think that's going to make 20. that's a sense of capital

preservation for diamonds. imagine the return on the stone over the last 15 years. >> who is going to bid on something like this? >> we would have important client from the middle east, museums, important asian collectors. we have russian client. the market is very healthy right now and to give you a sense of how large this diamond, is having my pocket, a 3-carat diamond which on most days is large enough. that's how big the stone is. >> the other one is puny. >> let me take it off your hands. >> oh, okay. >> talk about some of the other things on the table. i'm fascinated by the watch down on the end there. >> that for watch collector's is a dream. that's 2499, a lot of numbers but one of two platinum perpetual calendars that one of the foremost watch-makers in the world has manufactured. >> and the owner of this? >> eric clapton?

>> really. >> unfortunately, it might have a slow hand. >> oh, come on. come on. >> not bad. >> you can't look at it after midnight. >> you go there. >> got to lay low if you wear it. >> 2.5 million, it should make in geneva close to 3. >> who are these clowns i'm with? >> what about these earrings? >> 100 carats in total, two pairs, yellow and white. switch them, wear them any way you like and these are being sold in new york next tuesday. >> wow. >> they are different. is there another set just like those? >> we find 50 carat tie mondays every other day. >> look what's in my sock drawer. >> real quick, the ruby and diamond. >> that's been vanclief, our mystery setting so the gems are set without any metal on, it and all you see are the gems on the bracelet. >> is there a price on the earrings? >> 80,000 there and 5 million here. >> okay. >> that's the bargain. >> that's the bargain of the day. >> go for the watch, matt.

>> you take the yellow one, i'll take the clear one. christmas shopping is done. >> that gentleman will have something to say about it. >> thanks so much. >> thanks for having me. >> up next, anthony bourdain about getting roasted last night from some of the cooking stars he's criticized over the years, from some of the cooking stars he's criticized over the years, bu

as a pastor, my support for question 6 is rooted in my belief that the government should treat everyone equally. i would not want someone denying my rights based upon their religious views, therefore i should not deny others based upon mine. it's about fairness. this law does not force any church to perform a same sex marriage if it's against their beliefs. and that's what this is about. protecting religious freedom and protecting all marylanders

equally under the law. join me in voting for question 6. anthony, of course, a huge talent, and he's the first to tell you that. if his ego got any bigger it would look like paula deen's thighs. >> a pretty amazing cover, a husband, father, recovering drug addict, stars in multiple tv shows and written best-sellers, in a ramone video. i mean, anthony, is there anything you can't do besides cook? >> what was for dinner?

anthony bure dane, the bad boy of the culinary world who speaks his mind with no reservations getting a dose of his own medicine. a guest of honor at the new york wine and food festival wine and roast with the proceeds for charity. willie, you're with us. >> you're meaner than i knew. >> i'll take no responsibility for that paula deen joke. love paula deen. >> you were just getting started. you're known-for-your caustic tongue and wit. did you get it. did you get burned last night? >> it was like a prolonged and painful, you know, medical procedure. i had it coming. i knew i had to go through it. it was the right thing to do. we put mario through a similar process a few years back. it was for a good cause, and i also thought there was a serb justice in giving some of the things that i said to rachel and about rachel and guy over the years. i thought they deserved an opportunity to give it back to me. >> who landed the best punch?

>> actually i think barney mcfarlane was brutal. i mean, just withering. and it was scorched earth. wasn't just me. just took everybody done. she was brilliant. >> it's supposed to be a roast of you, but i see that a lot of people got it, and willie, had you a couple of mean things you said. >> are we going to read these here in. >> i don't have them here anymore. >> oh, when a shame. >> about rachel ray, we have people who play chefs on tv, ladies and gentlemen, rachel raye, and guy fiery, what can you say about guy's cooking that hasn't been printed on a packet of cigarettes? >> these chefs were licking their chops to get after anthony bure dane, after all the books he's written and things he's said in public, rachel ray and guy fiery and through his accent destroying him. >> anthony, you still have that aserb intongue, and i know you've been pretty critical of

paula deen, for in the only the way she cooks, but now you say she's selling diabetes equipment and kind of profiting from that. any regrets about that? >> no. >> i'm shocked. >> look, i -- i was good-natured in the term of rachael and guy and always handled it with good grace. i have less of a severance humor with paula, to be honest. >> your show is moving to cnn. >> moving the band over to cnn. we're taking all the cameras, producers, the whole dysfunctional family over there and going to continue what we do just on a bigger and weirder level. >> all right. anthony bure dane, thanks for coming by and being a good sport about everything. >> a lot of fun. >> and willie, learned a little something more about you. i'm going to be nicer to you. >> a little more layers to the onion. >> it will make you cry, too. the five secrets to outlet

shopping but first jenna bush hager onen

we're back now with "today's extra yard." this about nfl players who make a difference in their communities, and this morning

"today" contributing correspondent jenna bush hager introduces us to houston texans defensive end j.j. watt. jenna, good morning. >> that's right. watt's performance has earned him a few mick names, like megawatt and j.j. swat, and while those may seem menacing, he describes himself as a big teddy bear whose determined to help kids who need him. he's a big guy making big plays in the nfl. >> j.j. watt again. >> reporter: measuring 6'6", even his motto is supersized. dream big, work hard. it's this credo that guided j.j. watt from his job delivering pizzas just a couple years ago to sacking quarterbacks in the nfl. >> always had bigger dreams and bigger goals and always bigger things to work towards. >> reporter: growing up in pewaki, wisconsin, he left college after one season with

dreams of playing in the nfl. his goal, the perennial power, the university of wisconsin, a school that hadn't recruited him and a school his family couldn't afford. you gave yourself a timeline. >> i put in the time. >> reporter: he delivered pizza. >> i delivered pizzas and he looked back at his mom and said j.j. watt is here, and he said i have your beats yeah, and he's like why does j.j. watt have my pizza, i see him on tv, a football star. reinstilled that drive in me and that confidence that i know what i want to do and i'll do whatever it takes to get there. >> reporter: and it humbled you in some ways? >> one of the most humbling experiences in my life. i'll never lose my drive or work ethic because i never want to go back. >> reporter: he earned that scholarship and a trip to the rose bowl.

dreaming big and working hard guided j.j. off the field. while still in college he realized that the smallest moment could have the biggest impact on a child. >> i got a letter from noah. noah had been bullied at school and was going through rough times and he loved dreaming big, work hard and i was like i want to make an impact in this kid's life. i said, hi, this is j.georgia. watt. i'm just looking to get in touch with your son noah. i was wondering if i could meet him. >> mr. watt. >> i got your letter. >> and i was just speechless. i couldn't even really talk. j.j. cared enough to come to school and visit me because of what i told him. >> you have to have big dreams. never let people try to knock you down. >> reporter: j.j. turned his slogan into a dream big work hard foundation to support underfunded youth athletic programs across the country. >> i don't want any kid to be lost on an opportunity just because somebody couldn't afford it. >> reporter: he left college a year early to enter the nfl

draft. >> the houston texans select j.j. watt. >> reporter: and was picked up by houston in the first round. >> it truly was everything i had ever dreamed of. >> reporter: when he got there, j.j. reached out to children in texas, like peter and aaron berry whose parents were killed in a tragic car crash that left the boys paralyzed. >> i went to the hospital and visited them. a very, very special day because for a couple seconds they didn't think about everything that was going on >> reporter: boys asked for his phone number, and the three became buddies, texting and talking throughout the season. >> oh, my gosh. >> he talks with us, and he like helps us. he helps us out and stuff. >> reporter: you really give back to the community. why do you do that? >> there's so many things that as a kid you enjoy, the carrying on through the rest of your life. i learned things like discipline and teamwork and leadership from sports, and i think those are the things that carry you forward. >> and forward he will go, playing the packers on "sunday

night football." j.j. describes himself as just a kid from wisconsin, and he says he'll always like the packers, but second he steps on to that field he bleeds like we all do you, blue and red, which happens to be texan colors i like that pizza story. >> yeah. he said he went and sat in his cried because this little boy thought a football star, and he worked his way through like many football stars do, selling pizzas. >> next week we've got a major event on the show we want to tell you more about. >> major. >> we are going to attempt to teach savannah how to cook, so let's just get a sense of where we're beginning. >> yeah. >> and where we're hoping to go. >> well, al knows. he tried >> i took -- just grilling on a backyard barbecue. she immediately within 15 minutes burned herself. >> and i still have the scar to prove it. >> right here actually. >> do you cook at all? >> no, i don't. i don't cook. i have nothing in my

refrigerator. >> you tried to make an anal pie. >> i tried to make that. i make a salad sometimes, but without lettuce. i don't like to do lettuce. >> we allow you to not be perfect. >> in addition to al, bobby fly is going to be part of this. >> bobby, really an intervention. bobby calls me, like i actually want you to learn how to cook. this is in the for show. do you like this food, that food, so we'll learn a couple of dishes and i hope it's something that folks at home will learn something, too, and then i'm supposed to at the end of the week cook for you guys live, and you have to eat it. >> what day is that so we can make sure we're off? >> oh, natalie. >> not here, gone. on assignment. >> what are you going to attempt to make? >> simple. >> like cordon bleu chicken or something. >> frozen food packs. >> savannah learns to cook next week here on "today." bring the pepto. >> as we head to your local news, some highlights from the week that was.

♪ >> i wish there was more. >> oh, no. >> jason kennedy. >> that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> willie geist is officially joining the "today" show family as the co-host of our third hour here. willie, we are thrilled to have you. >> thank you so much. >> welcome aboard. >> does it seem like i have a little more hair than i did say five minutes ago? >> puppy needs a bathy. >> sorry, sorry. >> puppy took a nosedivy. >> come on, come on. take your best shot. >> are you ready to rum snbl. >> y'all ready to rumble? b

>> y'all ready to rumble? e >> y'all ready to rumble? l >> y'all ready to rumble? >> y'all ready to rumble? >> y'all ready to rumble? l >> y'all ready to rumble? e >> y'all ready to rumble? ? >> y'all ready to rumble? >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. the orioles win in game 5 over the yankees after, what else, another extra inning. j.j. hardy follow suit and brings home the go-ahead run.

jim johnson tipped the yankee batters down one, two, three t. tonight, first

>> sunny today, a breezy, winds out of the northwest, 21 miles per hour. tonight we drop down into the 30's. 59 for tomorrow's highs.

it's heavy lifting. you start with a democratic senator named ben. by getting bwi-marshall funding for new runways, he's helping us serve 21 million passengers a year, which helps keep 100,000 jobs that depend on the airport, and that means more cargo for more businesses and more skycaps unloading more taxis... welcome to bwi. ...carrying families with more luggage. thanks. it's like he's out here with us. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too. i'm ben cardin, and i approve this message.